Even Appointments Require Patience

Just a couple of thoughts about the execution of vaccine shots in South Florida.

1) Driving from Boca Raton in Palm Beach County on the Turnpike to Tropical Park in southwest Miami Dade County to get your first shot of the COVID 19 Vaccine because you were lucky enough to get an appointment that was probably intended for Dade County residents over 65 and then complaining about the process and the service is beyond the pale.  The fact that you had an 11:00 AM appointment and were inconvenienced by the traffic and some opening day mix ups on Saturday seems childish and born of privilege.    

From the Miami Herald:

But Lynn Lubell said that even though her mother, Millie Radlauer, had an appointment scheduled for 11 a.m., she was turned away after she arrived by car with Lubell’s husband 90-minutes early. The pair, along with another group of friends who had appointments booked, had driven from Boca Raton.

Saturday afternoon, after the Herald reached out to Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine Cava’s office, Lubell was assured her mom could get the vaccine Saturday. Lubell said she was driving back to the park.

“Everybody that was in line today or had an appointment and that is in line will be able to get a vaccine,” said Rachel Johnson, communications director for the Office of the Miami-Dade Mayor.

A few hours later, Lubell called the Herald back with some good news to share.

“We’re all set,” Lubell said. “The people down here were absolutely wonderful. Extraordinary.”

Johnson said the county is looking into why there was an apparent miscommunication at the front end Saturday morning and will be reevaluating after the site closes later Saturday. “We will be making some changes to help handle the flow,” she said, acknowledging that there have been buildups in traffic.